Prepare for a flavour sensation with this delicious Diet Coke Chicken! Tender chicken thighs, seasoned to perfection, are simmered in a unique diet cola sweet and tangy sauce, creating a mouthwatering one-pan dish.
About Diet Cola Chicken
Many years ago, during my university days, I frequently prepared this sweet and tangy Diet Coke chicken, a cherished dish from my time following the Weight Watchers plan. Originating as a popular choice among Weight Watchers enthusiasts, the recipe gained acclaim for its satisfying flavours and wholesome ingredients.
The original recipe called for ketchup or sometimes soy sauce, but its allure lay in the tender braised chicken pieces coated in the delectable sauce.
In 2009, I decided to craft my own version, which you see here today on Slimming Eats.
The key adjustment was substituting ketchup for tomato paste. Opting for tomato paste (or puree, as it's known in the UK) imparts a richer, more concentrated flavour profile with fewer sugars and calories. This modification results in a sauce that reduces beautifully into the thick, luscious texture you see here.
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Calories in Diet Coke Chicken
This recipe for diet coke chicken serves 4 people and is 296 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 200+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Ingredients Needed
To prepare this yummy recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: these are the best choice for this recipe as they remain much more tender in a bake and impart a lot of flavour compared to chicken breast. See FAQ for more details
- Seasonings: paprika, dried thyme and dried parsley
- Garlic: fresh garlic minced, but lazy or jarred mince garlic is fine also
- Diet Cola/Pepsi: use any brand you like
- Tomato Paste (Puree): this is concentrated tomato paste that comes in a tube or small can
- Balsamic Vinegar: It is recommended to use aged balsamic vinegar for the best flavour
- Chicken Stock: It's crucial to use the right ratio of stock cubes for the required amount of stock. Not all stock cubes are the same, and using the wrong amount can result in either a bland and watery broth or an overly salty stock.
- Fresh Parsley: it's the perfect finishing touch for the dish. You can skip it if you'd like, but it adds a delightful and healthy touch of green to the overall presentation
- Salt and Pepper: These basic yet essential flavour enhancers are key for elevating the taste of your dishes. No food will ever be bland when these are used to season to taste.
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Once all the ingredients are prepared, you can get ready to make this easy recipe.
Slimming Eats Tip - Customize with Your Preferred Cola!
Unlock the versatility of this recipe by incorporating any cola of your choice—whether it's Pepsi, Coke, or a store-brand alternative, each will deliver the same delicious results.
Concerned about avoiding aspartame? While many diet drinks contain this ingredient, some utilize stevia, albeit it can be challenging to find everywhere.
If you prefer regular cola for this renowned recipe, feel free to make the switch. Just remember to factor in additional calories if opting for regular cola.
Variations
Looking to switch up your Diet Coke Chicken recipe? Try these creative variations for a delicious twist!
- Pork Instead of Chicken: Substitute chicken with pork for a unique take on this dish. Pork adds a different texture and flavour profile, resulting in a tasty alternative to traditional chicken.
- Experiment with Different Diet Drinks: Explore different diet drinks like Diet Fanta or Diet Sprite for a sweet and sour style dish. Each beverage brings its own distinct flavour, adding excitement to your meal.
- Enhance with Additional Spices: Elevate the flavour by adding extra spices of your choice to your preferred taste. Whether it's a pinch of smoked paprika for a smoky kick or some chilli flakes for heat, customizing the spice blend allows you to tailor the dish to your taste preferences.
- Incorporate Vegetables: Add depth and texture by including vegetables like peppers and onions into the sauce. The sweetness of the vegetables complements the tanginess of the Diet Coke sauce, creating a harmonious flavour profile.
Get creative in the kitchen and experiment with these variations to discover your favourite twist on the classic Diet Coke Chicken recipe!
Diet Coke Chicken - Cooking in a Slow Cooker
Cooking Diet Coke Chicken in a slow cooker offers convenience and delicious results, perfect for creating tender pulled chicken or pulled pork. To enhance the dish's flavour profile, consider adding a touch of smoked paprika.
Since the natural reduction process is slower in a slow cooker compared to stovetop cooking, I omit adding chicken stock. Instead, I suggest crumbing in a chicken stock cube for added flavour. If you prefer a thicker sauce, follow this method: Once the pork or chicken is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker, shred it using two forks, then transfer the sauce to a saucepan to simmer and thicken. Finally, combine the reduced sauce with the shredded meat for a perfect finish!
Sides for Diet Coke Chicken?
Enhance your Diet Coke Chicken meal with these delectable side dishes:
For those seeking a lower-carb option, consider:
And for a healthy alternative:
We love this with my Perfect Oven Baked Chips, Garlic Cilantro Fries, Crushed Roast Potatoes or just plain rice. If you would rather serve this with a lower carb option, you could also go for this Roasted Cauliflower Rice or Egg Fried Cauliflower Rice instead for a healthy alternative or Roasted Paprika Butternut Squash
Vegetables to Serve with Diet Coke Chicken
I always prefer to cook my vegetables separately for this and not in the sauce, the sauce is pretty sweet and bbq like, so adding the vegetables into the sauce just makes a plate of food that is too sweet overall.
Cooking the vegetables separately also ensures they are not overcooked and you can actually taste the yummy vegetables.
Some of my favourites to serve with this are:
- Roasted or sauteed broccoli
- Sauteed zucchini (courgette)
- Peppers and onions
- Mushrooms
- Stir Fry Mix
- Sweetcorn
I just cook in a little cooking oil spray with some basic salt and black pepper.
- or a simple mixed salad is perfect too.
or if you would like more recipe ideas or sides to make with this recipe - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more..
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ for Diet Coke Chicken
If your sauce isn't thickening, check two things: First, ensure you've used the correct amount of tomato puree (paste). Tomato puree is a thick concentrated paste and creates the desired sauce consistency.
Secondly, adjust your heat; it shouldn't be too low. Bring it to a boil and allow it to bubble and reduce. Avoid using a lid as it prolongs the reduction process. Also, make sure to use a large circumference, flat-bottomed frying pan for even heat distribution.
The sauce typically thickens within 20 minutes, so if it's taking longer, your heat may be too low.
Yes, you can freeze Diet Coke Chicken. To freeze, let it cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers or freezer bags. Be sure to remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
When reheating, you can thaw it overnight in the fridge or reheat directly from frozen. To reheat on the stovetop, place it in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Alternatively, you can microwave it on high, stirring occasionally until thoroughly heated.
While you can use chicken breast for Diet Coke Chicken, it may not yield as much flavour compared to using chicken thighs. Chicken breast tends to be leaner and has a milder taste, so it may not absorb the flavours of the sauce as well as chicken thighs do. Additionally, chicken breast can often release water during cooking, which may dilute the sauce slightly.
However, if you prefer chicken breast or are looking for a lower-fat option, it is still perfectly acceptable to use in this recipe. Just be aware that you may need to adjust the seasoning or add extra flavourings to compensate for the milder taste, and consider patting the chicken breast dry before cooking to minimize excess moisture.
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Recipe Card
Diet Coke (Cola) Chicken
Prepare for a flavour sensation with this delicious Diet Coke Chicken! Tender chicken thighs, seasoned to perfection, are simmered in a unique diet cola sweet and tangy sauce, creating a mouthwatering one-pan dish.
Ingredients
- 8 small boneless skinless chicken thighs, raw (approx 700g/21oz)
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder (granules)
- 400ml can of diet cola
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) of tomato paste (puree)
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup (240ml) of chicken broth (omit and use 1 stock cube instead for slow cooker version)
- salt and black pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons of fresh finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
Stove Top:
- Slice the chicken thighs in half and add to a bowl with the garlic, paprika, onion powder and a pinch of salt and black pepper, mix to coat.
- In a large jug or bowl, combine the cola, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and chicken stock and mix until all combined.
- Add the sauce to a large deep flat bottomed frying pan.
- Place the chicken thighs in an even layer into the sauce.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium high allow to bubble so the sauce reduces down into a thick sauce that coats the chicken. (approx 20 mins)
- Sprinkle with freshly parsley.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper
- Serve with your choice of sides
- Enjoy!!
Slow Cooker:
- Slice the chicken thighs in half and add to a bowl with the garlic, paprika, onion powder and a pinch of salt and black pepper, mix to coat.
- In a large jug or bowl, combine the cola, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and crumbled stock cube and mix until all combined.
- Pour the sauce into the slow cooker, place in the seasoned chicken thighs
- Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
- Once cooked, carefully remove chicken with a slotted spoon
- Add sauce to a pan and bubble on a middle heat to reduce down to desired thickness and then pour over the chicken.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley
- Season as needed with salt and black pepper
- Serve with your choice of sides.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free stock
- Dairy Free Friendly
- Suitable For Freezing ❄️ - see FAQ for freezing tips
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Nutritional information etc are an estimate and are to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary in values from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate values yourself by the ingredients you use and the tools provided to you as a member of the programme you are following.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 253Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 160mgSodium 476mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 34g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
Emma says
Hey
Thanks for this website, there's so many gorgeous ideas!
About this recipe, do you use brand name Coca Cola or the cheapy stuff? I just tried to make it now and the sauce didn't seen to be going sticky. It's in the oven now, so hopefully it will be fine!
admin says
Yes I used brand Diet Coca Cola 🙂
sallyann says
just made this it was great all the family loved it thanks for putting it on this site
jayne says
tried this and loved it! only had it as a snack incase no one liked it but i loved it! will have it with SW chips next time and am deffo gonna stick em on a barbie!
marisa says
Going to have ago at the coke chicken tonight! Luv it x
kaye says
just had diet coke chicken with basmati rice mixed with mixed veg. followed by skinny trifle. delicious. dont feel like im on a diet !
Natalie says
I love diet coke chicken and I am making it tonight but I use tomato sauce instead of tomato passata and a cup of South African chutney as well. Yummy!
Cathie says
I like this with Jamaican rice, the sweetness of the chicken with the spicey rice is sooo good. I took some diet coke chicken (I used asda own brand diet coke) to group a few weeks ago and everyone loved it.
Brenda says
Going to try this out with Quorn fillets for my veggie son I'll let you know whether it works or he likes it haha
BeeBee Cavendish says
I love this recipe, for my version though I add peppers, onion, worcestershire sauce and chinese 5 spice to the diet coke before reducing
Gordon Thomas Copeland says
excellent idea
Gordon Thomas Copeland says
excellent idea
anabolic steroids blog says
i love the flavour coke marinade gives to meat
dianabol
Emma Price says
Absolutely gorgeous! Very weird though, it was watery for ages and then suddenly just reduced! Lovely sweet BBQ sauce.
Zoe England says
am making this tonight , never had it before
Steph says
Diet Irn Bru works as well instead of cola - tastes a bit like Sweet n Sour!
Sandra Webster says
I made this tonight, but used regular coca cola, as like you, I avoid stuff with aspartame and like you say it isn't many syns when divided up. I served it with salad and syn free chips and everyone loved it. Thank you so much. I will definitely make this again.
kay kelly says
Just made this for dinner with rice and peas mixed. Superb. Your recipes are so good and certainly doesn't feel like a diet! Thank you. X
Tracey Mckie says
This recipe even made my husband a believer! First tasted it in the UK on vacation... stayed with my husband's family in Hadleigh and they are SW members, so they introduced us to it all. So glad I took the plunge and joined online here in GA.
liz says
This is one of our favourite dishes we've tried quite a few from your web site and they are all delicious I couldn't believe you could eat so well on a diet thank you
Sheila Sears says
Great recipe with delicious flavours, will be making again, thanks xxxx.
I wanted to rate 5 star but would only allow me to rate 4 star. xx
Sheila Sears says
Great recipe with delicious flavours, will be making again, thanks xxxx.
Dom says
Can you freeze left overs of the Diet Coke chicken ? I really liked it but made too much .. soI’m having it for lunch as well today.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Yes this freezes perfectly
Beryl says
Just trying diet coke chicken now used caffeine free coke I avoid caffeine will let you know how it turns out.
Karan Waite says
Absolutely delicious thanks for sharing x
Fwy says
I made this tonight with lean pork. Oh my goodness it was amazing. Served it with lime rice. Sorry no photo as it didn't last long enough!
Sanya says
I made this earlier in the week and the whole family loved it! Added a bag of fresh spinach 5 minutes before serving for some greens.
Served with quinoa, spiced up with some cinnamon and curry spices. 5 stars! Thank you !
Heidi Sneddon says
This is incredible. Cant get enough. This didnt serve 4 ppl though. It was too good to share. Lol
Anna nuttall says
Are you able to use Pepsi Max instead of Diet Coke?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yes you sure can.
Michelle says
I’m gonna attempt this to try , can I add onions and peppers at beginning as I’m doing in slow cooker whilst I’m at work ?? Or is it best just to have chicken and the ingredients thats listed ??
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yes you can, also be aware if doing in the slow cooker you will need to reduce the volume of liquid, or add sauce to pan and simmer until thickened once cooked.
Danielle says
What changes do you need to make to do it in the slow cooker? I’d love to do it as a pulled chicken style dish in my slow cooker but not sure about quantities & timing?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
you would definitely need to reduce the liquid, as it won't reduce down like on the stove. I would do about 2 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low.
Karen says
I use diet fanta. 5 spice instead of Italian seasoning and add fresh pineapple at the end of cooking...sweet and sour.
I've also used Dr pepper when I didnt have any coke .
Janette says
Love your Diet Coke chicken so easy to make also a winner with the other half so glad I made this.
love this sight.
Janette says
Love this thank you great recipes.
Sam says
I’m making this shortly, can I use passata instead of tomatoes purée?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
no it must be paste (puree) - passata will result in the sauce being too watery.
Jenna says
Oh my god. I have just made this, it is absolutely delicious. So much nicer than the original slimming world recipe. The sauce is gorgeous I could just eat it off the spoon.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Honor says
Hello !
Could I use tomato ketchup instead puree ? I could maybe omit the balsamic vinegar to avoid it being too acidic ?
Thankyou for sharing !
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
You can just be sure to adjust syns/points for whatever plan you follow.
Natalie says
Does the chicken need chopping/browning at all? X
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
nope chicken goes in raw as per the recipe, if you want to slice into smaller pieces you can, but I just put the boneless chicken thighs in as they are, stay nice and tender as bigger pieces.
Paula Chester says
Made this in the week , absolutely delicious, thank you for the fantastic recipes , use your ideas everyday to meal plan x x
Marie Scott says
Hello, Do you think that Diet Ginger Coke would work in this or would the flavours clash. Thank you.
Ian morris says
My go to recipe every time I make it the diet coke chicken gets better every time
Emma says
When making this recipe with Large Chicken Thighs, how do I adjust this recipe?
Do I need to fry the chicken thighs beforehand or simmer for longer?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
shouldn't make much different the size of the chicken thighs, but if they are really big, just slice in half.
Heidi says
This was really delicious and moist, it was a huge hit in our house and low in WW points for me. Served with jasmine rice and roasted peppers and onion. This one’s a keeper!
Greg says
Made this tonight, absolutely delicious. Thank you.
Milly says
Hi,
I only have cherry coke in the house….would that be too weird to use?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
no it should be fine, enjoy!!